


It Was Nice Knowing Ya

by Pleasebrushyourteeth



Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 17:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7517356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pleasebrushyourteeth/pseuds/Pleasebrushyourteeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clank crashes into Veldin, and is found by Ratchet. The main twist this time? He has no memory of Drek’s invasion plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Was Nice Knowing Ya

“Sorry, man, but I’ve always been more a spacecraft guy.”

He knew there was only an 11.7% chance of this strange cat thing being able to help him, but he couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the damages he sustained were not repairable. At least, not by the creature that had found him.

“Is there anyone on this planet who will be able to assist me?”

Furrowing his brow and raising a gloved hand to his chin, his rescuer contemplated for a bit before responding.

“Hmm… well, there is a robot repair shop down in the Plateau, but we’ll get stuck in the desert overnight if we leave now, and there isn’t anything worse than a night in the desert.”

So there was someone who could help him! But would it be logical to take his chances with unknown nocturnal conditions to achieve his goal as soon as possible? What was wrong with the desert anyway? The terrain? The weather? Creatures of abnormal ferocity and/or attitude?

“Besides, my hoverbike’s wouldn’t make the trip. Got a busted fusion coil. Say, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about fixing hoverbikes, would ya?”

His new companion looked at him hopefully, a small smile starting to form on his face.

“Accessing data banks… no, I have no workable memory on hoverbike repair and maintenance. In fact… I have no memory of anything.”

The cat creature sighed, shaking his head.

“Of course, out of all the robots to fall out of the sky, I get the one with the busted robotic ignition system AND memory drive. Just my luck.”

He felt a sudden sense of anxiety wash over him as the fuzzy stranger begin walking away dejectedly, as though he were going to abandon him. Not that that wasn’t a reasonable decision; at this point, the small robot knew he was essentially useless.

“Sir, I am sorry I cannot help you in your endeavor to fix your motor vehicle, but I implore you to help me restore my memory. I cannot shake the feeling that something… important was lost.”

The stranger turned around. There was a brief twinkle in his eye as he flashed another smile at him.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you fixed up. If anything, I can probably patch up your leg tonight. But first, enough with ‘sir.” Just call me Ratchet. What’s your name?”

He hit his head with his hand, as though he could beat his name out of his memory banks through a non-existent ear. As he beat harder, an audible metallic sound could be heard.

“I have to remember my serial number at least. It has got to be in here somewhere, I just know it…”

“Hey, hey, calm down. I’ll just call you… Clank.”

-

 “There! Leg’s all fixed.”

The newly-dubbed Clank inspected his leg, a faint smile reaching over his face.

“Thank you, sir. I am most indebted.”

“Hey, enough with the ‘sir,’ remember?”

“Apologies.”

Taking his eyes off his leg, Clank turned his attention to his surroundings. The building Ratchet had brought them to was small, cluttered, and in desperate need of a spring cleaning.

“You have interesting taste in dwellings.”

“Oh, the garage?” Ratchet replied. “Yeah, I didn’t choose this place. Grim, the other guy who lives here, took me in when I was a baby. Been stuck here ever since.”

Ratchet looked around the garage and sighed.

“Yep, never left this planet. Not like you.”

As Clank continued looking around the garage, he noticed a series of posters behind Ratchet, featuring a variety of smug-looking people. He pointed Ratchet to the posters.

“Who are those people? Are they your friends?”

“What? Don’t you know who they are?”

Clank shook his head.

“They’re the Galactic Rangers!” Ratchet exclaimed, motioning with his hands toward the picture. “You know, the Saviors of Solana? Come on, you must’ve have heard of them.”

Clank looked down sadly. “Even if I had, that information must have certainly been lost in the crash.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s right.” Ratchet replied. “Well, they’re only the coolest people in the entire galaxy! They’ve saved Solana at least 427 times, give or take the Robo-Penguins from Planet 78 Invasion!”

Clank tilted his head. “Fascinating.”

“Yeah.” Ratchet replied, then solemnly turned his head down and sighed.

“The Rangers were actually here today. President Phyronix wants them to find another member, and they held try-outs down at the Plateau.”

Clank’s interest perked at this information. “Did you try out?”

“Yeah, finished their death course and everything. But I didn’t pass the background test. Too many citations, you see.”

“Ah, understandable.”

“Yeah…It’s just not fair, though. I’ve been wanting to join the Rangers since I was a little kid, and when I got my one chance, I blew it.”

Clank detected increased levels of “sadness” emanating from his benefactor.

“Do not worry,” he replied in a comforting tone. “Perhaps there will be other opportunities in your future to join a crime-fighting organization.”

“Sure,” Ratchet muttered. “I just hope that it comes soon, you know? I’m tired of waiting for cool stuff to happen. I want to live it, man! I want to spend every day kicking butt and taking names! I want to be a hero, like Captain Qwark and the Rangers!”

Ratchet pulled out a small card with a picture of Qwark on it and displayed it to Clank. Shortly afterwards, however, he sighed and put it away.

“Sorry, you wouldn’t understand.”

“No,” Clank replied. “I believe I do. It is natural for organic individuals to carry dreams of grandeur that are beyond their physical limitations…”

“This isn’t a dream!” Ratchet shouted. “This is my life we’re talking about! Do you really think I wanna be stuck in this garage when I could be out… out there?”

He motioned towards a window that highlighted the night sky. Dejected, he shook his head.

“You don’t understand, man. I’d give anything to get outta here.”

-

Shock. Anger. Bewilderment. Concern. Fear. These were all emotions Clank could detect from Ratchet as the news anchor solemnly droned on.

“And thus, with the Galactic Rangers dead, Aleero City was captured by the Blarg invaders. President Phyronix has issued a galaxy-wide state of emergency…”

“I can’t believe it,” Ratchet gasped. “They’re… gone.”

Clank didn’t know what to say. He had been programmed with basic understanding of concepts like life and death, but never before had he witnessed the realization of such events for himself. At least, not that he could remember. He watched as his new friend slowly got up and walked away from the holo-vid. Afraid of being left behind, Clank followed after him.

“Ratchet, are you well?”

“No, Clank,” Ratchet replied, a tremor in his voice. “No, I’m not.”

 Suddenly the news anchor came back on.

“We’re receiving word from President Phyronix that he’s approved the creation of a volunteer army to fight the Blarg enemy! All able-bodied, willing individuals are asked to come forward and sign up for war at your nearest Galactic Base!”

Ratchet turned his head towards the holo-vid. Clank could tell that he was thinking deeply about the report. After what seemed like an eternity, Ratchet sighed, wiped the tears out of his eyes, and started walking towards his hoverbike.

“Ratchet,” Clank asked. “Where are you going?”

“The nearest Galactic Base is about 45 minutes away from here.” Ratchet replied. “If I’m gonna make it there in time to register, my bike needs to be working.”

“And who says you’re going register?”

Clank turned towards the source of the response, a large purple-grey creature. He assumed this was the “Grim” Ratchet had told him about last night. His expression, Clank noted, matched his name.

“Grim, I’m going to volunteer,” Ratchet stated clearly.

“No, you’re not!” Grim shouted back. “I need you here to help with all these repairs!”

“Grim, do you really think repairing ships is more important than protecting the galaxy from evil?”

Grim was silent, then answered back.

“… They never said you had to go.”

“If enough people don’t go, they’ll just issue a draft,” Ratchet replied. “Besides… I want to go.”

“Ratchet…”

“Grim, hear me out! This is my chance to do something to help the galaxy! This is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life!”

Again, silence from Grim.

“Grim, please,” Ratchet pleaded. “This is my chance.”

“… Fine. But you owe me for this.”

“Don’t worry,” Ratchet beamed confidently. “I won’t let you down.”

-

It had been 2 days, 7 hours, 36 minutes, and 5 seconds since Ratchet left Veldin. Clank and Grim had seen him off for his deployment, waving goodbye as he left to train on Aridia with the rest of the volunteers. After Ratchet left, Clank noted that he felt… empty? Was that the proper word for this emotion? He had been given plenty of time to ponder this question, and he was still nowhere near the answer.

Grim was noticeably quiet during Ratchet’s absence. He hadn’t said a word to Clank since they said goodbye to Ratchet. Instead, he focused his attention on repairs and orders, stoically continuing as if life was normal. When asked where Ratchet was, Grim simply replied, “Away.” It was as if Ratchet never existed at all, and Clank didn’t know how to feel about that, much less how to describe that feeling.

Without Ratchet, Clank had no way of continuing his quest for his memory. Grim was not interested in helping him, and neither were the numerous patrons of the garage. So Clank spent much of his time exploring his immediate surroundings, studying the various insect species he came across. Ratchet had given him permission to use his living quarters, and currently he was pouring over the small selection of mantis and beetles he had found throughout the day. Suddenly, the seemingly domesticated bug Clank held in his hand jumped away. Still interested in that specimen, he got up and begin following the creature. The bug continued crawling to the other end of the room, where Ratchet’s collection of Galactic Rangers paraphernalia sat untouched.

Ratchet did not seem to have many personal belongings. Most of the clutter in the room was clothes thrown in random directions, or parts and pieces of machinery used to fix the ships that came into the garage. The Galactic Ranger shrine, however, was obviously carefully crafted, with each object placed in just the right position so as not to block the others. It was a labor of love and Clank felt bad about peeking through it for something as base as a stray bug.

As he looked through the shrine, however, he noticed something odd. Behind one of the Captain Qwark posters was a small suitcase. Clank knew he shouldn’t prod, but his curiosity slowly overpowered his naturally careful disposition, and he pulled the suitcase out from its resting place. Opening it up, Clank made a mental list of the few things in the suitcase: a small pastel-blue blanket, a white onesie, a pair of light-pink socks, and a scrap of paper. Clank picked up the paper to inspect it further. There was some chicken-scratch writing on it. Clank squinted to read it...

“Now what do you think you’re doing?”

Clank turned around and saw Grim standing behind him, a wrench in his hand. Clank quickly put the paper down and hopped away from the suitcase.

“I’m sorry,” Clank stammered. “I did not mean to… I mean, I should not have…”

“Hmph,” Grim interrupted. Clank moved out of the way as Grim reached for the paper. After a few moments of silence, Grim chuckled.

“Do you know what this is?” Grim questioned.

“No, I do not.” Clank replied.

“This is the stuff I found with Ratchet when I rescued him.”

This was the first time Grim had said Ratchet’s name since the lombax left, and Clank’s interest was piqued.

“Really?” Clank inquired.

“Yeah,” Grim replied. “Found him when he was a baby. This is all that was with him.”

He waved the paper at Clank. “This is the only word I ever got from his parents. Nothing but ‘Please take care of our child.’ No name, no address, nothing. Poor kid.”

Grim sighed. “I shouldn’t have been so tough on him.”

“What do you mean?” Clank questioned.

“When he wanted to join the army,” Grim replied. “I… was just worried about him, you know? He’s such a small boy, and he has such a gift for getting himself in trouble…”

Clank understood Grim’s emotions regarding Ratchet, as he too was concerned for the lombax. Not just because he needed him to regain his memory, but just… genuine concern for his new friend. Still, he knew he needed to put on a brave face for Grim.

“Do not worry, Grim,” Clank stated calmly. “I believe in Ratchet’s abilities and fortitude. He will survive this, and we will see him again.”

Grim regarded the small robot with sad eyes, then smiled.

“Thanks, kid. That means a lot.”

-

Novalis is gone. Millions of Novalians are dead. President Phyronix has been assassinated by Blarg mercenaries, his daughter Sasha taking his place as interim president.The volunteer army has failed and is now in a state of retreat.

That meant, Clank rationalized, that Ratchet is either dead, or coming home.

Clank and Grim were currently at the Galactic Base hospital, waiting in a crowded room to hear news about Ratchet. Grim’s frown remained firm as the numerous families around them either breathed a sigh of relief or broke down into tears. Clank had always wondered what it was like to express such emotional episodes, but for Grim’s sake, he kept his thoughts to himself.

Finally, a nurse called Grim’s name and asked them to follow her down a long hallway into a small, white room. Inside the room was a lonely chair, an open window, and a bed. Grim ran up to the bed, nervously studying the fuzzy figure lying down in it.

“He’s been asleep all day, so he should be waking up soon,” the nurse stated.

Clank walked up to the bed, examining his friend. Overall, Ratchet’s vitals seemed to be stable, but he had sustained numerous injuries to his head, torso, and legs. Clank stood with Grim for a while, waiting for Ratchet to wake up. Finally, Ratchet stirred.

“Ugh…where am I?” He stammered. “What’s going on?”

“You’re in the hospital, kid,” Grim replied. “Right where I knew you’d end up.”

“Grim!” A small smile tore over Ratchet’s face. “It’s good to see you, too.”

Ratchet’s attention then turned to Clank.

“I see you brought our new friend. How you doing, Clank?”

“I am well, Ratchet. I noticed, however, that you have sustained multiple injuries. Tell me, how are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m doing ok,” Ratchet replied as he attempted to sit up. The smile on his face, however, quickly was replaced with a fearful expression.

“I… I can’t feel my body.”

“What do you mean?” Grim questioned, worry overcoming his anger with the lombax.

“I just can’t move! I can turn my head, but aside from that, I can’t feel anything! Grim, what’s going on?”

“Uh, just stay calm, Ratchet! I’ll go get the nurse! Nurse!”

Grim ran out the room, his calls of “Nurse!” still audible to Ratchet and his new friend. Said friend couldn’t help but feel nervous as well about Ratchet’s condition.

“Ratchet? Are you alright?”

Ratchet instead turned his head towards the sole window in the room, where a dark cloud was currently blocking the sunlight.

-

“Hey, Clank?”

“Yes, Ratchet?”

“Can you turn up the holo-radio? I can barely hear it from over here.”

“Of course.”

Clank got up from his collection of insects and walked to the holo-radio on the other side of Ratchet’s room. They had arrived from the hospital with Grim about an hour ago. The doctor had said that Ratchet’s paralysis was most likely permanent, but still prescribed bed rest for the lombax in the hope that it would help ease some of the pain.

“That one, Clank!”

Clank stopped adjusting the dials on the holo-radio, allowing Courtney Gears’ latest pop trash to fill the room.

“Thanks, man.”

“No problem, Ratchet.”

Clank walked back to Ratchet, climbing the bed to get a better look at his friend.

“How are you feeling?”

Ratchet turned his head away from the small robot.

“I don’t know, Clank… Tired, for the most part.”

“That is an understandable emotion to be experiencing given your recent trauma.”

“Yeah… it hurt like hell, you know.”

“What did?”

“The shot that took out me out. Didn’t even see the guy shoot me right in the back. Lousy coward.”

“Given the extent of your injuries, I am actually surprised you managed to survive such an attack.”

Ratchet was silent. Clank reached over to try to see his face.

“Ratchet?”

“… It just isn’t fair, you know?”

Clank frowned, then took Ratchet’s hand.

“I know, Ratchet. I know.”

Suddenly a sharp noise interrupted the music on the holo-radio.

“The Emergency Broadcast!” Ratchet exclaimed.

“Breaking news, Solana!” the news reporter cried out. “Chairman Drek has just fired the Deplanetizer at Umbris! Because of the impending galaxy-wide destruction, President Phyronix has ordered all Solana citizens evacuated-“

The news reporter was soon cut off by static. Ratchet and Clank looked at each other.  That must mean Kerwan… was gone. Was Veldin next? At that moment, the ground beneath them began to rumble, and the entire garage seemed to be shaking apart.

“Ratchet, we must evauctate this planet!” Clank tightened his grip on Ratchet’s hand, and attempted to lift him out of bed. Ratchet cried out in pain as a result.

“Clank, stop!”

Clank backed away from his friend.

“I am sorry, Ratchet. I did not mean to cause harm…”

Just then, the sound of explosions rang out, and light began pouring throughout the garage. Clank closed his eyes to avoid being blinded, then turned to Ratchet.

“Ratchet, what are we going to do?”

Clank anticipated that the lombax would be filled with feelings of overwhelming terror, and was about to offer his input when very slowly, Ratchet turned his head to his friend and smiled.

“It was nice knowing you, Clank.”

Clank stood staring back, not knowing what to do or say. Finally, however, he smiled back.

“… You, too, Ratchet.” He replied, as the light overtook them.


End file.
